Wolf's Kin (Monstrous Hearts #3)

Epilogue

"It sounds like a wonderful trip." Denise's voice filled the kitchen, slightly tinny from being on speakerphone. "We can't wait to see you tomorrow and hear all about it."

"Is there anything we can bring over? Maybe dessert or wine?" said Alice, half of her attention on splitting the row of shortcakes that had been cooling on the counter since morning. The strawberries were already ready.

"Just yourselves." Then her stepmother's voice lowered to a more confidential tone. "You know, your father and I both thought you two left on a secret honeymoon and would come back unveiling wedding rings. You're not about to, are you?"

"No," said Alice, trying not to laugh at her stepmother's excitement. After all they had been through, proving their commitment to each other was the furthest thing from her mind. "I needed to get away and clear my head about some things, and I did."

"Honey, I'm so glad. I'll just say one final thing on the subject: your father would never admit it, but he's fine with the idea of you two marrying. He's working from home today. Do you want to say hi?"

"Sure." They hadn't spoken since she and Colton had started the hunt. The usual anxiety wormed into her heart as she waited, but less so than before. She wasn't sure she'd ever be comfortable with her father, but in a strange way, the things she had learned about her mother helped steady her view of him as well.

When his voice came through, it still held the flatness of his professional tone. "Alice."

She took the speakerphone off. Even though she was alone in the house, it somehow felt more private. "Hi, Dad. How are you?"

"Well enough. What about you? You sound tired. Six weeks is a long time away."

"I know, but I needed it. I feel much better about some things, and ready to move on from others."

"That's good." There was a brief silence before he said, "We're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, although I told Denise you should have a few more days to recover."

"I'm fine, really. In fact, Colton's coming home after lunch so we can take a long drive. There's just one more thing I want to see before we're done traveling for awhile."

"Is it about your mother?" Her surprised silence must have been answer enough, because he then added, "The anniversary of her disappearance was yesterday. It's not hard to make the connection."

Alice hesitated, unsure of whether to tell her father what she had remembered. Unsure of how much could be understood by someone who had never seen that dark, furtive world hiding in the shadows of his own. "What made you move forward, Dad? After Mom disappeared, I mean."

Her father sighed. "I knew I had to keep life as normal as possible for you. I'm not saying I succeeded. Just that I tried."

She bit her lip, hearing the same pain in his voice that she had heard in the memory of her mother at her bedside. It rubbed her heart raw to realize the cold behavior that had once made her fear him stemmed in part from his own fears. She didn't know what to think, much less what to say. "I'm fine now. Really. I realized that... that she didn't leave because she hated me."

There was a long pause, long enough that she thought she'd made a mistake in opening up. But then her father cleared his throat. "I'm glad. There was never any reason to blame yourself. She loved you, but she was also sick."

Alice closed her eyes, aware that it was as close to the truth as he would get, or would possibly even want. "Thanks, Dad."

For a moment, he almost sounded reassuring. "Get some rest. We'll see you tomorrow."